Card capsule



Oct. 19, 1965 c. KLEIST ETAL CARD CAPSULE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 15, 1961 R m N W W.

1520; c. KLE/ST and 00mm 5. [RA/6 .(bcka/ood, 11/004414, .fm'fi f ll/llldll Oct. 19, 1965 c. KLEIST ETAL CARD CAPSULE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15. 1961 INVENTOR. 1620) c KLE/ST and BY 00mm 15 024/6 fickwozbodamfflmi f fi ilkdd ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,212,667 CARD CAPSULE Leroy C. Kleist, Ogden, Ill., and Donald E. Craig, Pinecastle, Fla., assignors to The Magnavox Company, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 138,734 Claims. (Cl. 220-93) The present invention relates generally to filing systems utilizing small sized photographic film segments, hereinafter called cards, and more particularly to a receptacle or capsule for the cards.

It is known in the art to establish filing systems using small film records or cards of documents, whereby it is unnecessary to keep files of the original full-sized paper documents. Various systems of storing documentary information on micro-film have been devised. Certain of these, which operate almost completely automatically, require complicated and expensive equipment. In an effort to simplify the equipment involved in such systems, various inventions have been made including a card transport system disclosed in the application of Donald E. Craig, Serial No. 67,825 filed on November 7, 1960, a card feeding device disclosed in the application of Stewart E. Hotchkiss et 211., Serial No. 138,742, filed on September 15, 1961, now Patent No. 3,137,496, and a card receiving device disclosed in the application of James R. Thompson et al., Serial No. 117,723, filed on June 16, 1961, now Patent No. 3,178,177. These applications disclose means for transporting cards on a conveyor, means for feeding cards from a capsule to the conveyor and means for removal of cards from a conveyor for reinsertion in a capsule.

In addition to the means disclosed in the aforementioned applications, it is necessary to provide an etficient, reliable and relatively inexpensive container or capsule for receiving a group of cards whereby they may be stored and filed when not in use for the enlargement and reproduction of the information carried thereby. Consequently, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a capsule for the storage of cards when not in use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a card capsule permitting easy removal and reinsertion of cards.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a card capsule facilitating the classification and filing of cards in groups or stacks.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a card capsule which can be easily and conveniently used with either'the card feeding device or the card removal device of the above mentioned patent applications.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an efficient, reliable and relatively inexpensive device for accomplishing the foregoing objects.

' Related objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims and the drawings.

In accordance with the present invention, one embodiment thereof comprises a container having an open end, tabs mounted on the container at the .open end thereof and projecting toward one another for retaining cards within the container. There is also provided means for separating the tabs to permit cards to move into or out of the container and a plunger received within the container and biased toward the tabs.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a card receiving capsule embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the capsule.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section of the capsule showing it in operating position upon the card feeding device of the above mentioned Hotchkiss application.

FIG. 5 is a perspective detail view of an element of the card feeding device which cooperates with the capsule of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a transverse section of the capsule similar to FIG. 4 but showing the capsule in cooperation with the card receiving device of the above mentioned Thompson application.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a hopper forming a part of the card receiving device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a card capsule which includes an elongated, rectangular container 10 having a base 11 and four elongated, rectangular sidewalls 12 and 13. Each of the opposite pair of sidewalls 13 includes a resilient panel 15 which is integral at its proximal end with the base 11 and terminates at the open end 16 of the container. When the container is not being used to discharge or receive cards, panels 15 are parallel to one another as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and together with the remaining portions of the sidewalls 13 and the sidewalls 12 form a rectangular container for housing a plurality or stack of cards, a partial stack 17 of which is illustrated in FIG. 4.

A plunger 20 is reciprocably mounted within the container 10 and has oppositely projecting portions 21 extending therefrom and slidably received within slots 22 formed in the sidewalls 12. The slots 22 terminate in abutments 25 adjacent the open end 16 of the container, thus providing means for preventing the plunger from passing out of the container. A coiled compression spring 26 is resiliently compressed between the base 11 and the plunger 20 and biases the plunger toward the open end of the container. The spring 26 has its opposite ends received upon annular bosses 27 and 30 formed in the plunger and base, respectively, in the central portions thereof. The bosses 27 and 30 function to maintain the compression spring 26 in the center of the container, thus preventing the plunger from binding or becoming canted within the container.

At the distal ends of the panels 15, there are formed inwardly projecting tabs 31, the tabs of each panel being spaced from one another and located at the sides of the panel. The tabs 31 function to retain a stack of cards within' the container, the cards being held resiliently against the tabs by the urging of the plunger 20. Also located at the distal ends of the panels are outwardly flaring portions 32 and 35 which cooperate with spaced upstanding elements 36 (FIGS. 4 and 5) and 37 (FIGS. 6 and 7) for resiliently bending the panels outwardly and separating the tabs 31 in order to permit passage of the cards into and out of the capsule.

The flaring portion 35 has formed integrally therewith indicia carrying element 40 which is arranged perpendicularly t0 the panels 15 and is adjacent the open end 16 of the container. This indicia carrying element facilitates the filing of the capsule in a larger storing container and makes possible easy retrieval of a desired capsule therefrom.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is illustrated fragmentarily a portion of a card feeding station 45 which is illustrated in more detail in the above mentioned Hotchkiss application. There is provided a pair of parallel spaced conveyor belts 46 which travel through the card feeding station within suitable grooves 47 in the head 50. The feeding station operates to remove cards from the stack 17 by means of vacuum within the port 51 of the plunger 52 and to place those cards upon the conveyor belts 47. Fixed with relation to the head 50 is a generally rectangular element 55 which is provided with a pair of feed lips 56 past which the cards are drawn and which function to separate the cards so that they are extracted one at a time from the container. In order to withdraw cards, the container is placed with its open end downward as illustrated in FIG. 4 against the element 55 and with the lateral portions of the sidewalls 13 between the upstanding projections 57. The upwardly projecting end portions 60 also function to properly position the container for extraction of the cards. In forcing the container downwardly against the rectangular element 55, the upstanding projections 36 separate the panels by engaging the flaring portions 32 and 35 in .the manner illustrated in FIG. 4. Thus, the tabs 31 are also separated and the plunger 20 forces the stack of cards downwardly against the feed lips 56.

When it is desired to reinsert the cards into the container, it is placed with its open end downwardly against a hopper 65 illustrated in FIGS. v6 and 7 and further described and illustrated in the above mentioned Thompson application. This hopper will have therein a plurality of cards which have been collected by the card removal device. The hopper is provided with upright, channelshaped inwardly opening end portions 66 which function to position and seat the capsule upon a ledge 65, the por tion 66 having tapering surfaces 70 for guiding the capsule into position. The hopper 'further includes upright spaced elements 37 which engage the flaring portions 32 and 35 to separate the tabs 31 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6. The cards thenare manually reinserted into the capsule by means of a plunger 75. Re-

moval of the capsule vfrom the seat 67 causes the tabs 31 to again move together whereby the cards are retained within the capsule.

It should be noted that a small off-center tab 80 extends inwardly at the open end of the container. This tab mates with a cutout'portion on the end of each of the cards in the stack 17 to aid the clerk in properly orienting the card in the capsule whenever manual in-filing is necessary.

From the above description, it will be obvious that the present invention provides a capsule for the storage of cards, said capsule being easily and conveniently used for removal and reinsertion of cards. It will also be clear that the present invention provides an efficient, reliable and relatively inexpensive card capsule which furthermore facilitates the classification and filing of cards in groups or stacks.

-We claim:

1. ,In a capsule for holding a plurality of cards 'in a stacked relationship and for providing for a controlled transfer of the cards in the plurality into and out of the capsule upon a disposition of the capsule upon a pair of upstanding elements spaced in a .first direction from each other and upon a disposition of the capsule between up-' standing projections displaced from the spaced upstanding elements in a second direction transverse to the first direction,

a first pair of walls disposed in spaced relationship to each other in the second direction to confine the cards in the plurality within the capsule in a first direction,

.a second pair of walls disposed in spaced relationship to each other in the first direction to confine the cards in the plurality within the capsule in the first direction,

each of the first and second pair of walls defining first and second opposite ends of the capsule at the extremities of the walls, each of the walls in the second pair being provided with cuts along the distances between the first and second opposite ends of the capsule to definea panel at an intermediate position between the walls in the first pair, each panel being provided with resilient characteristics 'to obtain a pivotal displacement of such panels from each other and to obtain a transfer of the cards in the plurality into and out of the capsule,

each of the panel being provided with at least one lip which extends toward the other panel to maintain the cards in the plurailty within the capsule and which is disposed in cooperative relationship with the upstanding projections,

each of the panels being provided with at least one portion which flares outwardly from that panel in a direction away from the other panel at a position displaced from the lips in the second direction to obtain a displacement of the panels from each other upon a disposition of the outwardly flaring portions upon the pair of spaced upstanding elements,

a fifth wall joining the walls in the first and second pairs at the first end of the capsule "and restricting the movement of the cards in the plurality from the first end of the capsule, and

spring means disposed within the capsule against the fifth wall of the capsule to provide a force for pressing the cards in the capsule toward the second end of the capsule.

2. The capsule set forth in claim lwherein the spring means are centered within the capsule and wherein means are provided for maintaining the spring means centered within the capsule, and wherein a portion extends outwardly from one of the outwardly flaring portions to provide indicia as to information stored on the cards in the capsule.

3. The capsule set forth in claim 2 wherein the .cards are cut out at one end, and wherein a particular one of the walls in the capsule is disposed inwardly to mate with the cut-out portions of the cards in the plurality.

4. In a capsule for holding a plurality of cards in a stacked relationship and for providing for a controlled transfer of the cards in the plurality into and out of the capsule upon a disposition of the capsule upon a pair of upstanding elements spaced in a first direction from each other and upon a disposition of the capsule between upstanding projections displaced from the spaced upstanding elements in a second direction transverse to the first direction, including,

a bottom wall,

a first pair of side walls extending from the bottom wall in a spaced relationship in the second direction corresponding to a .first dimension on the cards in the plurality,

a second pair of side walls extending from the bottom wall in a spaced relationship in the first direction corresponding to a second dimension on the cards in the plurality where the second dimension is transverse to the first dimension,

the second pair of side walls being disposed in transverse relationship to the first pair of side walls to define an enclosure open at the top'end of the capsule for the transfer of the cards in the plurality into and out of the capsule through the top end of the capsule,

the side walls in the second pair being cut at distances between the bottom Wall and the top end at positions intermediate the first pair of side walls to define panels resilient about the bottom Wall as a fulcrum for a displacement of such panels from each other for a transfer of the cards in the plurality into and out of the capsule,

a pair of lip portions each disposed at the top end of an individual one of the panels and each extending inwardly from the individual panel toward the other panel to retain the cards in the plurality within the capsule until a displacement of the panels from each other,

a pair of portions each disposed on an individual one of the panels at a position displaced in the second direction from the lip portion on the individual one of the panels and each flaring outwardly from the individual panel in a direction away from the other panel to receive one of the spaced upstanding elements for a displacement of the panels upon the application of a force against the capsule in a direction toward the spaced upstanding elements,

one of the outwardly flaring portions being provided with an additional portion constituting an extension of the outwardly flaring portion to provide indicia as to the information stored on the cards in the plurality in the capsule, and

spring means disposed within the capsule between the bottom wall and the cards in the capsule to press the cards in the capsule toward the top end of the capsule.

5. The capsule set forth in claim 4 wherein the spring means include a boss at substantially the center of the bottom end of the capsule and further include a plunger movable within the capsule in a direction between the top and bottom of the capsule and disposed between the cards in the capsule and the bottom of the capsule and further include a constrained spring disposed at one end on the boss and extending between the bottom end of the capsule and the plunger to exert a force for pressing the plunger upwardly.

6. The capule set forth in claim 5 wherein the plunger has a boss at a position corresponding to the center of the capsule, and wherein the spring is disposed on the boss at a second end opposite to the first end and wherein the first pair of side walls are provided with slots extending in a direction between the top and bottom of the capsule, and wherein the plunger is provided with outwardly projecting portions disposed in the slots in the capsule to guide the plunger in the movements of the plunger between the top and bottom of the capsule.

7. The capsule set forth in claim 6 in which the slots in the first pair of side walls terminate at a position intermediate the top and bottom ends of the capsule, and in which the plunger is provided with an inverted U-configuration defined by a pair of legs and a portion joining the legs where the legs of the U are disposed in contiguous relationship to the side walls in the first pair and where the joining portion is disposed against the cards in the capsule and where the boss is disposed on the portion joining the legs of the plunger.

8. In a capsule for holding a plurality of cards in a stacked relationship and for providing for a controlled transfer of the cards in the plurality into and out of the capsule upon a disposition of the capsule upon a pair of upstanding elements spaced in a first direction from each other and upon a disposition of the capsule between upstanding projections displaced from the spaced upstanding elements in a second direction transverse to the first direction where the cards in the plurality are provided with cut-out portions at one end of the cards, including,

a bottom wall,

a first pair of side walls extending from the bottom wall in a third direction transverse to the bottom wall and to the first and second directions and disposed in spaced relationship to each other in the second direction by a distance corresponding to a first dimension of the cards in the plurality,

a second pair of side walls extending from the bottom wall in the third direction and disposed in a transverse direction to the first pair of walls and having a juncture with the side walls in the first pair and disposed in spaced relationship to each other in the first direction by a distance corresponding to a second dimension of the cards in the plurality where the second dimension is transverse to the first dimension to define an enclosure for holding the cards and to define an opening at the top end of the enclosure, there being cuts in each of the side walls in the second pair at positions interemdiate the junctures between the first and second side walls and at distances between the top and bottom of the enclosure to define resilient panels for obtaining a pivotal displacement of the panels from the remainder of the side walls with the bottom wall as a fulcrum and for providing for a transfer of cards into and out of the capsule through the top end of the capsule, x

at least a pair of portions each flaring outwardly from an individual one of the panels at the top end of the panel and in a direction away from the other panel to obtain a pivotal displacement of the panels in a direction away from each other upon a disposition of the outwardly flaring portions upon the spaced up standing elements and upon the exertion of a force on the capsule in the direction of the spaced upstanding elements,

at least a pair of lips each extending from the top end of an individual one of the panels toward the other one of the panels and in displaced relationship in the second direction along the individual one of the panels relative to the outwardly flaring portion on the individual one of the panels to provide for a retention of the cards in the plurality within the enclosure defined by the capsule in the unpivoted positions of the panels and to provide for a transfer of the cards in the plurality into and out of such enclosure upon a displacement of the panels from the remainder of the side walls,

a tab extending from a particular one of the panels and fitting into the cut-out portions in the cards in the plurality for insuring the proper disposition of the cards in the plurality within the enclosure defined by the capsule, and

spring means disposed within the capsule for pressing the cards in the plurality within the capsule toward the top end of the capsule.

9. The capsule set forth in claim 8 wherein an extension is provided on one of the outwardly flaring portions to provide indicia for indicating the information stored on the cards in the capsule.

10. The capsule set forth in claim 8 wherein slots are provided along the side walls in the first pair in a direction between the top and bottom of the walls, and where in a plunger is disposed within the capsule at a position between the cards in the plurality and the top of the capsule, and wherein the plunger is provided with extensions, and wherein the extensions are movable in the slots in the side walls of the capsule, and wherein the plunger and the bottom wall of the capsule are provided with bosses, and wherein a coiled spring is disposed under constraint on the bosses to press the plunger against the cards in the capsule.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 381,266 4/88 Miller 20642 1,065,543 6/13 Mardock 206-39 1,253,070 1/18 Mahaney 20639 1,333,610 3/20 Fellheimer 312-61 2,564,712 8/51 Muros et al 30-402 2,576,589 11/51 Gabriel 206-16 2,730,825 1/56 Wilds 211-49 3,057,473 10/62 Stern et al. 20678 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. IN A CAPSULE FOR HOLDING A PLURALITY OF CARDS IN A STACKED RELATIONSHIP AND FOR PROVIDING FOR A CONTROLLED TRANSFER OF THE CARDS IN THE PLURALITY INTO AND OUT OF THE CAPSULE UPON A DISPOSITION OF THE CAPSULE UPON A PAIR OF UPSTANDING ELEMENTS SPACED IN A FIRST DIRECTION FROM EACH OTHER AND UPON A DISPOSITION OF THE CAPSULE BETWEEN UPSTANDING PROJECTIONS DISPLACED FROM THE SPACED UPSTANDING ELEMENTS IN A SECOND DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE FIRST DIRECTION, A FIRST PAIR OF WALLS DISPOSED IN SAPCED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER IN THE SECOND DIRECTION TO CONFINE THE CARDS IN THE PLURALITY WITHIN THE CAPSULE IN A FIRST DIRECTION, A SECOND PAIR OF WALLS DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER IN THE FIRST DIRECTION TO CONFINE THE CARDS IN THE PLURALITY WITHIN THE CAPSULE IN THE FIRST DIRECTION, EACH OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PAIR OF WALLS DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CAPSULE AT THE EXTREMITIES OF THE WALLS, EACH OF THE WALLS IN THE SECOND PAIR BEING PROVIDED WITH CUTS ALONG THE DISTANCES BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CAPSULE TO DEFINE A PANEL AT AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION BETWEEN THE WALLS IN THE FIRST PAIR, EACH PANEL BEING PROVIDED WITH RESILIENT CHARACTERISTICS TO OBTAIN A PIVOTAL DISPLACEMENT OF SUCH PANELS FROM EACH OTHER AND TO OBTAIN A TRANSFER OF THE CARDS IN THE PLURALITY INTO AND OUT OF THE CAPSULE, EACH OF THE PANEL BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE LIP WHICH EXTENDS TOWARD THE OTHER PANEL TO MAINTAIN THE CARDS IN THE PLURALITY WITHIN THE CAPSULE AND WHICH IS DISPOSED IN COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UPSTANDING PROJECTIONS, EACH OF THE PANELS BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE PORTION WHICH FLARES OUTWARDLY FROM THAT PANEL IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE OTHER PANEL AT A POSITION DISPLACED FROM THE LIPS IN THE SECOND DIRECTION TO OBTAIN A DISPLACEMENT OF THE PANELS FROM EACH OTHER UPON A DISPOSITION OF THE OUTWARDLY FLARING PORTIONS UPON THE PAIR OF SPACED UPSATNDING ELEMENTS, A FIFTH WALL JOINING THE WALLS IN THE FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS AT THE FIRST END OF THE CAPSULE AND RESTRICTING THE MOVEMENT OF THE CARDS IN THE PLURALITY FROM THE FIRST END OF THE CAPSULE, AND SPRING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE CAPSULE AGAINST THE FIFTH WALL OF THE CAPSULE TO PROVIDE A FORCE FOR PRESSING THE CARDS IN THE CAPSULE TOWARD THE SECOND END OF THE CAPSULE. 